Copper is becoming an increasingly popular target for thieves. In particular, the theft of copper cables attached to mechanized irrigation equipment (“MIE”) is a frequent occurrence. Existing theft deterrent systems on irrigation equipment can trigger an alarm when a cable is severed. However, the relative isolation of MIE leads to relatively long response times, if any response occurs at all. By the time police respond to the alarm, the thieves have absconded with the cabling. Therefore, a need exists to increase the deterrent for thieves to remove cabling from irrigation equipment by making the cable more difficult to remove.